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Yard Goats hold off Richmond to grab third straight win

Hartford’s Bret Boswell, left, celebrates with teammate Tyler Nevin (10) after hitting a two-run home run in Monday night’s Eastern League win over Richmond.

HARTFORD, July 15 – Hartford outfielder Bret Boswell hit his tenth home run of the year and pitcher Matt Whitehouse won his first game in nearly a month to lead the Hartford Yard Goats to a 5-4 Eastern League win before a sellout crowd at Dunkin’ Donuts Park Monday night.

Hartford (49-42, 12-12 second half) has won three straight games and six of their last nine contests. The Yard Goats were playing as Los Chivos de Hartford.

The Yard Goats snapped a 1-1 tie in the third inning on a lead-off double by Scott Burcham, an RBI-single by Tyler Nevin and Boswell’s two-run homer for a 3-1 advantage.

Hartford scored the winning run in the sixth on a double by Mylz Jones and consecutive wild pitches by reliever Chase Johnson.  Jones saved the Yard Goats with his defense, ending the top of the seventh inning with a spectacular diving catch in right field off the bat of Richmond’s Peter Levin with the tying runs in scoring position at second and third base.

Pitcher David Whitehouse struck out eight and picked up his first win with the Yard Goats Monday night.

Whitehouse picked up his first win in Hartford in his fifth appearance. He pitched six innings, struck out eight and allowed just two runs on five hits. Ironically, the left handed pitcher’s last victory came over the Yard Goats when Whitehouse was with the Cleveland Indians’ Double A affiliate in Akron on June 12. The Colorado Rockies, the parent club of the Yard Goats, signed Whitehouse on June 22 after he was released by the Indians.

Three Yard Goats relievers closed out the contest, with Scott Griggs nailing down his fifth save, retiring three straight batters, after yielding a leadoff home run to Gio Brusa in the ninth inning.

Nevin had two singles and an RBI and Mylz Jones a double, single and run scored to pace Hartford’s attack.

Jalen Miller had two hits for Richmond (33-57, 10-14).  Starter Caleb Baragar suffered the loss, permitting four runs in 5 1/3 innings.  He walked one and struck out four.

Game two of the three-game series is Tuesday at 12:05 p.m. on Park and Recreation Day at Dunkin’ Donuts Park.

BOXSCORE: Hartford 5, Richmond 4

Gerry deSimas, Jr., is the editor and founder of The Collinsville Press. He is an award-winning writer and has been covering sports in Connecticut and New England for more than 40 years. He was inducted into the New England High School Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2018.

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